Best Of

Keegan Ales

Description:

There are lots of great stories behind many of the Valley’s ever-growing number of locally crafted brews (and of course, drinking beer can lead to some world-class stories, too), but this is really a tale to toast to. A long time ago, before Beacon was even a city, the villages of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing had a legendary battle of the brews going on — and it was getting nasty. You were either a Frost Ale “Frostie” or a Justice Brewery “Man of Justice.” Finally, the wives of prominent brewer-businessmen J. Arthur Frost of Matteawan and Irving J. Justice of Fishkill Landing secretly combined their husbands’ recipes to bring peace to the communities. The result was an immensely popular brew from the Frost & Justice Brewing Company — which was busily serving until Prohibition. (In addition, Frost went on to become the city of Beacon’s first mayor). Fast-forward 90 years; when the Beacon Theatre recently was being renovated someone stumbled upon the original recipes of the beer company in the basement tunnels between the former Dibble Opera House (which became the Beacon Theatre in 1934) and the Hotel Melzingah. In honor of 4th Wall Productions moving to the theater, Keegan Ales craft-brewed a special batch of the F&J beer for a big fund-raiser this past June. And the folks at 4th Wall promise that, once everything is said and done, the Beacon Theatre will house a brewery tap room serving Frost & Justice.